Fleet Academy

by M. Scott Cottrell

  “So how’s he doing?” Tempe asked Jenny as she stepped into the quiet infirmary room.

  “I thought I heard him say he loved me, and his hand moved a few times, so I know he’s still in there.”

  “He’s a fighter. He’ll pull through.” She said putting her arm around Jenny’s shoulders.

  “I know.” She said with a small smile. “I do love him so much too. I don’t want to lose him. I really owe you.”

  “No you don’t. He saved my life, now were just even.”

  “Well, I’m glad you did. Doc said that with the amount of blood he lost internally that he wouldn’t have survived much longer. He had to take out his spleen, but other than that, a little recovery and he should be ok physically. How do things look with that thing out there?”

  “Well, it looks like it’s taking an orbit around the sun. Kind of close for us, but they want us to try to stay with it. I don’t know if we can or not. I heard a couple officers talking about fuel. I guess were kind of short.”

  “Well, I’m not a navigator, but don’t we need a lot of fuel to change course that much?”

  “I guess we can insert into orbit, but it’s going to be close. Once we’re there were stuck until they can get another tanker up to us. Could be a while.”

  “Well, I guess we don’t have anywhere to go.”

  “I know, but we’re still at high vee. We really don’t get to slow down, so you know what that’ll mean.”

  “How long do you think we’re going to have to stay like this?”

  “Maybe a month?”

  “That’s going to be one long month.”

  “You said it. Well, I better get going. You hang in there; he’ll be just fine, you wait and see.”

  “Thanks,” Jenny said, turning back and squeezing Matt’s hand again.

  Chapter 13 – Path to the Sun

  At first he wasn’t sure where he was, or what had happened. His mind struggled with the space between reality and dream, believing that it had all been a dream. After what felt like an eternity trying to command his body to move, his arm finally began to slowly rise toward his face, intending to wipe the sleep from his eyes. He blinked several times, trying to focus the shapes that swam in and out of his blurry vision. As the fog of his vision cleared he saw a tousled mop of red hair resting on his lap. Gently he reached out and touched it, stroking it.

  “Where am I?” His mind commanded his body to say, but all that came out was a garbled croaking sound. He just didn’t seem to have command of his body.

  “You’re awake?” Jenny said, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “Thank god.” She said quietly.

  “Where am I?” He tried again, this time with a little more success.

  “Take it easy lover… You’re in the infirmary. We had to do some surgery.”

  “Surgery?” He commanded his voice again, this time with even more success.

  “Yes. You had a couple broken ribs and some internal injuries, but you’re going to be fine.”

  “What happened?” He asked, this time more confident that he was able to make himself understood.

  “You were hit by something during the EVA. Specialist Tempe went after you and got you back.”

  “How long?” He croaked, licking his lips and trying to swallow.

  “How long have you been out? That was nearly a week ago.”

  “And she hasn’t left your side that whole time.” Suzi said as she stepped into the room. Then turning to Jenny, she said. Dr Clark is on his way. I called him as soon as I saw the biobed readouts.

  “The thing?” Matt's rasping voice managed to get out.

  “We aren’t sure yet what it is, but it doesn’t seem to be a ship. From what I heard they’re not sure what it is. There was some discussion that it might be something alive.”

  “Where is it now?”

  “It’s a bit ahead of us. It changed course a little before we did, but it settled into an orbit around the sun.”

  Matt tried to command his body to move and get up from the bed, but the best he could seem to muster was to lift his arms a few inches.

  “Not so fast lover. You just lay there and get some strength back first.” Jenny said, gently pushing his arm back down to the bed until she felt him relax again.

  “Well, Mister Molter. I see you are fully back among the living.” Dr Clark said jovially as he stepped into room. “Let’s have a look at you.”

  Jenny sat to the side while Dr. Clark gave Matt a quick check. “You’re looking remarkably well Lieutenant. I don’t see why you can’t be released to your quarters once you’ve eaten and gotten a little strength back, maybe tomorrow. I’m sure Miss Sloan will be more than happy to nurse you back to health.”

  “Thanks Doc.” Matt croaked.

  “Oh, don’t thank me. Miss Sloan hasn’t left your side since you were brought in. I did the surgery, but she and Miss Wong have done all the hard work. Now try some food and then we’ll see how you do. If things look good maybe we can let you out of here soon.”

  “Aye sir.” Matt said, laying his head back on the bed.

  After getting some food and another check-up Matt felt a lot stronger and the doctor allowed Jenny and Suzi to help him back to his quarters. “Here you go lover. You can use my bunk till you get better.” Jenny said lovingly as she fluffed up the pillow while getting her lower bunk ready for him.

  “I think I need a shower.” Matt said, holding onto the edge of the upper bunk to steady himself.

  “You probably do.” Jenny said with a laugh.

  “Nothing personal Jen, but you could stand one too.” Suzi chided as she crinkled her nose.

  “Well, I suppose it has been a few days…” Jenny said sheepishly. “Come on lover. Let me help you get cleaned up.”

  “You go ahead and strip down.” Suzi said. I’ll get him ready.” She finished with a grin.

  “I bet you will.” Jenny said as she started pulling off her white coveralls. It only took her a minute to strip off her coveralls, deck shoes lace panties and bra. By the time she was done, Suzy had taken the hospital gown off of Matt and was leading him toward the bathroom, and guiding him into it. Jenny took over and helped steady him as he stepped into the shower tube, as she joined him. She hit the water control and pulled him to her, lifting her face to his to gently kiss him on the lips. She hit the water control three times before she broke the kiss and began to gently soap his entire body, half holding him up. He returned the favor, rubbing his hands all over the parts of her body he could reach. The parts that he couldn’t she washed by rubbing her body against his. “That feel better?” she asked quietly.

  “Jenny, I love you, more than anyone else I have ever known.” Matt said seriously.

  “I love you too, but I’m afraid it’s just these damn hormones making me feel that way.” She answered.

  “I don’t think so. I hadn’t planned on asking this way, but I want to marry you.” Matt said as they stood naked in the shower tube.

  “You could ask me any time any place, and the answer would still be the same. Nothing would make me happier than to marry you!” She said, tears coming to her eyes and trickling down her cheeks, mixing with the shower water. She pressed her soft lips to his and they kissed a long slow loving kiss.

  “Ok you two. That’s about long enough.” Suzi said as she opened the tube door for them. She helped guide him to the bunk and settle him in as Jenny pulled fresh underwear from her locker and put it on.

  “Thanks Suz” She said when she was done. “I think I’m going to take a nap too.”

  “Ok. Get some rest, both of you!” Suzy said with a grin before she left the room.

  Jenny climbed into the bunk with Matt, snuggling close to him. They kissed for some time before she fell asleep, her head on his chest, the first restful sleep she had in a week.

  The door chime woke Jenny and she slipped out of the bunk without waking Matt and pressed the answer button on the comm pad. “Who’s there?”

  �
��Ensign Forester.” Came the tinny reply.

  “Come on in.” she replied, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and hitting the door control.

  The door slid open to Trina’s huge smile; Bounce standing behind her with Lieutenant Kispan. “Is Matt up to some visitors?”

  “I think he can have some.” Jenny answered as she stepped back to let them in. The three women gathered around her lower bunk as Jenny gently shook Matt’s shoulder to wake him.

  “Hey stud! They say you’re going to live!” Bounce said cheerfully once Matt had rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

  “That does seem to be the rumor.” Matt said, pushing himself up to a sitting position in the bunk. “What’s been going on?”

  “Well, the thing is still orbiting the sun, but it keeps changing its orbit to go through coronal mass ejections. We have no idea why or what it’s using for propulsion. We used the rest of our fuel to insert into an orbit too, and now we’re stuck in this orbit at over quarter light speed. We don’t have enough fuel to make a burn to break orbit. Captain says that they’re working on a way to get us a refuel, but it’s going to be tough. The only advantage we have is that because of the speed we figure we’re at about a five to one compression. That gives them more time to work the problem.”

  “So what is the Captain going to do?”

  “At this point? Not much we can do. It’s out of range of a shuttle. All we can do is sit and watch.” Susanne said.

  “Well, I guess we just watch then.”

  “Yea, and you get better! FAST!” Bounce said.

  “Yes ma’am!” Matt said tossing her a fake salute.

  “Now if you don’t mind, my patient needs his rest!” Jenny said. “So all three of you… shooo!”

  “Ok. Come on guys. Let’s let him get some rest.” Susanne said with a crooked grin, as she got up from the edge of the bunk. “Don’t wear him out too much.” She whispered to Jenny as she headed for the door.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t.” She whispered back.

  It was a full two weeks before the Doc released him back to normal duty. In that time Jenny had pretty much unlimited access to his body, and took advantage of it. In some ways he was glad to get back to duty, although he would miss spending much of the day snuggling with Jenny, or ‘working out’ in the zero g gym with her. Now he was on his way to report in to the Captain. Not something that he was looking forward to.

  “Come.” The captain called through her already open door. “Well, Lieutenant, glad to see you’re recovered.”

  “Thank you ma’am,”

  “So I take it you have heard the status?”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “I read your report on the object. It matches with the rest of the investigation team results. Now that you had some time to think about it, do you have any other input.”

  “No ma’am.”

  “Come on Lieutenant. I have no doubt that, but you have to have an opinion, everyone on this ship has one. The only difference is yours comes from having touched the damn thing.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “Well, what is it? I don’t like to have to drag it out of you.”

  “Well, it’s more of a feeling than anything. I can’t point to any single thing, but I think it’s a single organism.”

  “You’re telling me it’s alive?”

  “Yes ma’am. The outer surface reminded me of a skin of some kind, and the course changes that it keeps making seem to be to feed on the mass ejections. I think its eating before it goes back into deep space again.”

  “You don’t think that’s a pretty farfetched idea?”

  “Yes ma’am, but it’s the only thing that fits. Besides, there is no detectable propulsion, but it still moves. I think its surfing the gravity or magnetic waves.”

  “Interesting ideas. You come to these conclusions yourself?”

  “Yes ma’am.” Matt said, looking at the ground, expecting to be called an idiot.

  “Well, that’s pretty good thinking. That’s the same thing that the scientists on earth think too.”

  Matt looked up, startled.

  “Surprised? The scientists on Earth have had nearly three months to look at the data while we have been following it around. That’s the best guess they can come up with too. I just wondered what you thought, being one of the few to actually touch it.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Matt said, not sure what else to say.

  “I hear your returning to duty today. Did you have a good rest?”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “I also hear you have asked Lieutenant Sloan to marry you. Congratulations are in order.”

  “Thank you ma’am.”

  “Are you quite sure that this isn’t the hormones talking?”

  “Quite sure ma’am.”

  “Well, in that case, I would be happy to marry you any time if the two of you would like to have it done out here.”

  “Thank you ma’am. I appreciate that.”

  “Not at all Lieutenant. That will be all, and good luck.”

  “Aye ma’am.” Matt said standing and heading for the door.

  “Oh, Lieutenant.”

  “Yes ma’am?”

  “I want a recommendation from the Master Chief for commendations for Specialist Tempe by the end of the day. You also can inform her that she has been field promoted to Petty Officer Second Class.”

  “My pleasure, ma’am!” Matt said with a smile.

  Matt walked into the armory for the first time in weeks. “Hey Forester!” he said as he walked into the office.

  “MATT!” She said jumping out of the office chair and launching herself at him. She hung around his neck squeezing him so tight that he almost couldn’t breathe.

  “Down girl!”

  “I’m just glad to see you!” She said kissing him on the cheek.

  “I can tell.” He said setting her back on the deck. “Would you go find the Master Chief and send him down and then find Specialist Tempe for me.”

  “I suppose you want some alone time with her?” She said raising her eyebrows.

  “Yes, but not for the reasons you think.”

  “Oh sure!” She chided. “No problem… I’m sure she’ll enjoy it, not that I wouldn’t you know.”

  “I don’t plan on doing that.”

  “You might not, but you can bet she will. After risking her own life to save yours you better oblige her too!”

  Matt just shook his head while he shooed her out of the office and sat down to look over the reports she was looking at.

  “You wanted to see me sir?” The Master Chief said as he stepped into the office.

  “Yeah, how are things going in the suit room Master Chief?”

  “Pretty well sir. We have all the suits fully serviced and my guys are just sitting around with nothing to do.”

  “Ok. I appreciate the work you guys did on the rescue. The Captain wants your recommendation for a commendation for Tempe.”

  “Yes sir. It’s been done for three weeks, just waiting for your signature.”

  “Ok. Thanks Master Chief. I’ll sign off and send it up.”

  “Aye sir… and sir?”

  “Yes Master Chief?”

  “Welcome back sir.”

  “Thanks Master Chief. It’s good to be back.”

  Matt went back to work, finding the Chiefs recommendation and passing it on to the Captain’s e-mail.

  “You wanted to see me?” Matt heard Caitlyn Tempe ask from the door.

  “Caitlyn. Come in. Have a seat.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “I heard you disobeyed orders and came after me.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “I also understand the Captain wanted to court martial your ass for it.”

  “Yes sir.” She said quietly.

  “First off I want to say that was a foolish and stupid stunt.”